Billy Wilder can certainly considered to be one of Hollywood’s best known film directors. Many of his movies such as Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot have gained international popularity up until today. The comedy being of interest to this term paper, The Fortune Cookie, however, is one of Wilder’s less famous productions. Still, it was nominated for the Screenplay Academy Award which it did not win.
On the following pages, I am particularly going to discuss the role of women in the movie. Therefore, the focus will lie on the individual female characters appearing as well as the ways in which they are presented. Since The Fortune Cookie is a comedy, some comical aspects in relation to women within the picture are going to be looked at. Finally, the air of females and their contribution regarding plot promotion will also be taken into consideration.
The paper’s structure is dominated by three main parts. In the first section, general background information such as a short synopsis, a description of non-female figures et cetera will be provided. The subsequent paragraph deals with the women staged in the motion picture describing their development as well as their significance to the story. For better understanding, some screenshots featuring women in typical situations during the film are added. Ultimately, the last main chapter gives a possible interpretation of the aforesaid information and also tries to analyze the progress of the plot in relation to the film’s female characters.
Table of Contents
Introduction
I. General Approach
A. Plot Summary
B. The Film’s Structure
C. Male Characters
D. Women’s Legal Status
II. Female characters in “the fortune cookie”
A. Hinkle’s Mother, Sister and Niece
B. The Nurses
C. Sandy Hinkle
D. Other Women
III. The function of feminity in the movie
A. Comical Aspects
B. Impact on the Plot
Objectives and Thematic Focus
This paper aims to examine the role, representation, and significance of female characters in Billy Wilder’s film "The Fortune Cookie." It explores how women are portrayed within the narrative, the impact of their actions on the plot development, and how their presence—or absence of influence—reflects the social and gender norms of the 1960s.
- Analysis of individual female characters and their stereotypical roles.
- Evaluation of the legal and social status of women in the 1960s USA.
- Examination of comical aspects related to gender performance in the film.
- Investigation into how female characters drive or influence the plot.
- Interpretation of the film’s underlying gender dynamics.
Excerpt from the Book
C. Sandy Hinkle
Harry’s ex-wife Sandy Hinkle, who works as a singer, is the most important woman in the movie. She either appears or is talked about in almost every scene featuring her ex-husband and in other scenes, too. Gingrich is only able to talk Harry into the fraud because the latter is desperate to get his wife back. On the other hand, Harry is very angry about her and describes her in the following way:
“I don’t know what I ever saw in her in the first place. Cooks like a pig and smokes in bed! Used to walk around like a zombie because her nail polish was always wet! That’s unless she was crawling on her knees trying to find one of her contact lenses, best thing ever happened to me is when she cut out. […] Never read a book in her life…she read one book, The Carpetbaggers, end of six months [sic] she was on page nineteen! We had no life together, no dialogue, no laughs. 30
Throughout the film, it is very obvious that Sandy only cares about Harry because of the lawsuit and the money connected to it. [Sandy about Harry: “Pour bastard. I just hope he winds up with a little money.”]31 When Luther Jackson picks her up from the airport, her second question addressed to him deals with the claim.32 Harry, however, has tried to forget her for over a year after she ran away with another singer named Gus Gilroy.33
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of Billy Wilder's filmography and establishes the scope of this paper regarding the role of women in "The Fortune Cookie."
I. General Approach: Summarizes the plot, the film’s episodic structure, the role of male characters, and the legal status of women in the 1960s.
II. Female characters in “the fortune cookie”: Analyzes specific female roles including the mother, sister, niece, nurses, and the ex-wife, Sandy Hinkle.
III. The function of feminity in the movie: Explores how female characters are used for comedic effect and how their presence motivates plot progression.
Keywords
Billy Wilder, The Fortune Cookie, Gender Roles, Female Stereotypes, Film Comedy, Plot Development, 1960s Cinema, Legal Status of Women, Sandy Hinkle, Character Analysis, Hollywood, Social Commentary, Femininity, Narrative Structure, Gender Representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this term paper?
The paper examines the role, representation, and functional importance of female characters in Billy Wilder’s 1966 comedy "The Fortune Cookie."
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The central themes include gender stereotypes, the legal and social context of women in 1960s America, and the impact of female characters on the film’s narrative.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to reveal that, despite being secondary to the male protagonists, female characters are essential to the plot development and reflect societal attitudes of the era.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses a qualitative film analysis, incorporating plot summaries, character studies, and contextual historical research regarding women's rights.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body discusses the individual female characters, their stereotypical presentation, the use of gender-based humor, and their influence on the lawsuit-driven plot.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include "The Fortune Cookie," "Gender Roles," "Film Comedy," "Female Stereotypes," and "Billy Wilder."
How is Sandy Hinkle characterized within the movie?
Sandy is depicted as the primary female character, driven by greed and self-interest, who only returns to Harry when she perceives a potential financial gain from his lawsuit.
In what way does the film use female characters for comedy?
The film frequently uses "typical" female traits, such as perceived hysteria or superficiality, as the butt of jokes, often allowing male characters to mock them.
Why is the legal status of women in the 60s relevant?
It provides the necessary socio-historical background to explain why certain forms of discrimination and gender roles depicted in the 1966 film were presented as they were.
Does the paper conclude that women are insignificant in the film?
No, the conclusion argues that while male stars dominate the screen, the influence of women on the narrative events is indisputably existent and crucial for the story to progress.
- Quote paper
- Franziska Ventz (Author), 2006, The Role of Women in Billy Wilder’s 'The Fortune Cookie', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/73433
